Born in Broken Bow, Oklahoma and nicknamed "The Cat" for his fielding, he was key to the Cardinals' upset wins over the New York Yankees in the 1943 World Series and the Boston Red Sox in the 1946 Fall Classic. In 1946, he become the first left-handed pitcher to record three wins in a single Series. His lifetime WS ERA of 0.83 in 7 games is the best ever.

He recorded his finest season in 1948, posting a record of 20-7 and leading the league in ERA (2.24), strikeouts (149) and shutouts (7). A two-time All-Star, his overall career record was 133 wins and 92 losses, with 901 strikeouts.

Following his career, Brecheen was a coach with the Browns, and remained with the team when they became the Baltimore Orioles. He died at age 89 in a nursing facility in Bethany, Oklahoma. He was voted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.